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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 116 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: rest · kick · firm · fine · mug · bat · stick · squash

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. firm — decided
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. firm — steady
  10. mug — a face
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mug — to rob
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — a company
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rest — a break
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kick — in football
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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