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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. track — a song
  4. current — electric
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. present — the time now
  7. current — happening now
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. prune — to trim
  10. squash — to crush
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. current — of water
  13. mug — a face
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. kick — in football
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. present — there
  18. mug — to rob
  19. present — a gift
  20. squash — the sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mug — a cup

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