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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. band — a music group
  3. staff — employees
  4. band — a ring
  5. rush — hurry
  6. staff — a stick
  7. chip — for betting
  8. squash — to crush
  9. drill — army training
  10. rest — what's left
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. staff — employees
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. drill — a practice

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