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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mate — to breed
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. net — after costs
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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