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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rock — music
  4. mate — a partner
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — thin
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rest — a break
  13. wind — moving air
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mate — a friend
  19. race — a contest
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. race — humankind
  24. squash — the sport

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