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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. present — there
  6. fine — all right
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fine — high quality
  11. row — a line
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. present — a gift
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. present — the time now
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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