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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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 — in football
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rule — government
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. branch — a division
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rule — a law
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bat — the animal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stand — to bear
  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