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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. object — a thing
  5. chair — a leader
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pop — to visit
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. object — an aim
  13. season — of the year
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wound — an injury
  18. charge — in control
  19. object — to protest
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pop — music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. pop — soda

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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