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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: rush · land · firm · date · kick · mate · chair · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. rush — hurry
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. squash — to crush
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chair — a leader
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mate — a friend
  12. land — ground
  13. mate — to breed
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. firm — a company
  17. land — to come down
  18. mate — a partner
  19. land — a country
  20. firm — decided
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. firm — steady
  23. rush — to hurry
  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