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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: deal · bass · squash · kick · cold · net · craft · leaves

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. deal — to handle
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. craft — boats
  16. bass — low music
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. net — for catching
  19. kick — in football
  20. squash — to crush
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. net — after costs
  24. kick — a thrill

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