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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.

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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. board — to get on
  9. snap — to click
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rash — a series
  14. craft — a skill
  15. board — a committee
  16. kick — in football
  17. ground — a position
  18. rush — hurry
  19. craft — boats
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rash — hasty

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