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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. squash — the sport
  3. kick — in football
  4. drill — army training
  5. suit — clothes
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. suit — to fit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lean — thin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. squash — to crush
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lean — to bend
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. perch — the fish
  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