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

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. squash — the sport
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. snap — to click
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. net — after costs
  24. arm — part of the body

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