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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rock — a stone
  4. hand — help
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cold — not warm
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. squash — the sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cold — an illness

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