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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. object — an aim
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. march — the month
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. sharp — clever
  12. march — music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. object — a thing
  15. shower — to wash
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. shower — rain
  19. march — the month
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. object — to protest

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