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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fine · squash · bound · game · wave · hide · kick · wake

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wake — a trail
  4. game — a match
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bound — certain
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. game — wild animals
  11. kick — in football
  12. bound — tied together
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fine — all right
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wake — before a funeral

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