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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. craft — boats
  3. object — to protest
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bark — to shout
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hand — in cards
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. squash — to crush
  16. object — an aim
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hand — help
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. object — a thing
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. toast — bread

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