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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. kick — in football
  3. squash — the sport
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. ground — a position
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mate — a partner
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cue — a hint
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rule — a law
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. squash — to crush
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rule — government
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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