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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. field — farmland
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. clip — for paper
  5. squash — the sport
  6. field — for sport
  7. clip — to cut
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. squash — to crush
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. field — a subject
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. suit — in cards
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. suit — to fit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. clip — a video

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