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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 120 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: kick · fan · content · spell · arm · squash · wake · bark

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. bark — to shout
  3. spell — magic
  4. content — the amount
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wake — a trail
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — a short time
  16. squash — the sport
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — letters
  22. content — happy
  23. fan — a supporter
  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