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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mate — a friend
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. current — happening now
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. current — electric
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mate — to breed
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mate — a partner
  18. squash — to crush
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. current — of water
  24. trunk — of a tree

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