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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. kick — in football
  9. rest — what's left
  10. club — for golf
  11. rest — what's left
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rest — a break
  14. club — a group
  15. squash — the sport
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. board — a committee
  19. hand — help
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. board — to get on
  24. squash — to crush

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