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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: kid · kick · squash · cap · lie · saw · bay · foot

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. squash — to crush
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kick — in football
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cap — a hat
  21. squash — the sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — of ice

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