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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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. squash — the sport
  4. pitch — completely
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. saw — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. calf — a young 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