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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: sharp · kick · stand · stick · squash · hand · object · bore

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. sharp — clever
  3. hand — in cards
  4. object — to protest
  5. kick — in football
  6. squash — to crush
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. object — an aim
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. hand — help
  23. bore — to drill
  24. squash — the vegetable

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