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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fall — the season
  7. mark — a grade
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mine — for digging
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kick — in football
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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