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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.

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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. net — in sport
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. cue — a signal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. squash — the sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. squash — the vegetable

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