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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. squash — to crush
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. club — a group
  8. pop — to visit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wake — a trail
  15. club — for golf
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pop — soda
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. dip — to sink
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pop — music
  24. dip — a sauce

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