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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. prune — to trim
  3. kick — in football
  4. cap — a hat
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lie — to recline
  11. squash — the sport
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cap — a lid

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