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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mug — a cup
  4. season — of the year
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mug — to rob
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fall — to drop
  9. deal — to handle
  10. plane — a tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. season — in sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fall — the season
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mug — a face
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bat — the animal

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