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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. present — the time now
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. present — there
  7. deal — to handle
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — the animal
  15. charge — a price
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. charge — electricity
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. charge — in control
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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