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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: object · hand · kick · last · squash · mug · swing · march

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. march — the month
  3. swing — in golf
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mug — a cup
  6. object — an aim
  7. march — the month
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. last — finally
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. last — to go on
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mug — a face
  16. squash — to crush
  17. swing — music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. kick — in football
  20. mug — to rob
  21. last — final
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. march — music
  24. swing — to play on

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