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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: present · stick · cabinet · last · fine · squash · ruler · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. last — finally
  4. present — a gift
  5. fine — high quality
  6. last — to go on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. squash — to crush
  12. last — final
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. present — the time now
  16. squash — the sport
  17. present — there
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fine — all right
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. kick — with a leg

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