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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. row — to paddle
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. kick — in football
  12. charge — electricity
  13. snap — to click
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. craft — boats
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. craft — a skill
  22. squash — to crush
  23. staff — a stick
  24. row — a line

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