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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. board — to get on
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chest — of your body
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. squash — to crush
  13. board — a committee
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. squash — the sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kick — in football
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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