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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. capital — money
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. squash — to crush
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. kick — in football
  10. rock — music
  11. capital — a city
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — to paddle
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. row — a line
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wake — before a funeral

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