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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: kick · arm · current · roll · object · squash · firm · kid

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. kid — to tease
  3. roll — a list
  4. squash — the sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. firm — steady
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. current — happening now
  13. firm — decided
  14. kid — child
  15. object — an aim
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. current — of water
  18. squash — to crush
  19. firm — a company
  20. kick — in football
  21. current — electric
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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