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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wake — a trail
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. kick — in football
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. present — there
  12. season — in sport
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. present — the time now
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. present — a gift
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com