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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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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: mark · squash · lie · kick · rush · rock · chest · wave

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. squash — to crush
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rock — music
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. chest — a box
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mark — a trace

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