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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: kick · can · cap · kid · lash · arm · squash · lean

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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 — with a leg
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kick — in football
  6. squash — to crush
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. can — a tin
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lean — thin
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cap — a lid
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cap — a hat
  22. kid — child
  23. arm — a part of something
  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