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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cap — of ice
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cap — a hat
  9. face — to confront
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. present — the time now
  12. mate — a friend
  13. squash — to crush
  14. present — there
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cap — a lid
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — a gift
  21. mate — to breed
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bay — a horse colour

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