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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lean — to bend
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. fine — all right
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fine — high quality
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bound — obliged
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. squash — the sport
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. kid — child
  21. lean — thin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. calf — of the leg

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