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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. tear — from crying
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. tear — to rip
  14. foot — a measure
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rock — a stone
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. swing — music
  19. tear — from crying
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rock — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. squash — to crush

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