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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stock — goods
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rule — a law
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rule — government
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stock — shares
  24. bulb — for light

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