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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wound — an injury
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lean — to bend
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. dip — to sink
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. kick — in football
  13. squash — to crush
  14. tube — the underground
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lean — thin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mark — a trace
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. tube — a container
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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