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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. court — for sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. plane — a tool
  7. squash — to crush
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lie — to recline
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mug — a face
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mug — to rob
  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