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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. land — to come down
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. land — a country
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. land — ground
  18. wound — an injury
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mark — a trace

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