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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. clip — a video
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. squash — the sport
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. clip — for paper
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lean — to bend
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. deal — to handle
  18. kick — in football
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. clip — to cut
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. squash — the vegetable

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