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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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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: track · bulb · squash · kick · sharp · cold · deal · wake

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bulb — for light
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. deal — to handle
  13. track — a song
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. cold — not warm
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cold — an illness
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. squash — the sport

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