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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mug — a cup
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. kick — in football
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. board — a committee
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mug — to rob
  11. squash — to crush
  12. date — the fruit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. deal — to handle
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mug — a face
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. board — to get on
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. deal — a big deal

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