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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. kick — in football
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. track — a path
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. track — a song
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kid — child
  24. temple — a place of worship

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