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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.

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: spell · chest · row · club · kick · mouse · fine · squash

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. club — for dancing
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. spell — letters
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. club — a group
  14. fine — all right
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — a box
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. squash — to crush
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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