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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 124 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pit — in a race
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. squash — to crush
  8. kick — in football
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rest — what's left
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rest — a break
  24. coach — a trainer

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