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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · net · firm · stick · lie · row · kick · kid

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kick — in football
  4. kid — child
  5. firm — decided
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kid — to tease
  14. squash — to crush
  15. row — a line
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. row — to paddle
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. squash — the sport

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