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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fine — high quality
  4. squash — the sport
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. file — a tool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fine — all right
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. file — a document
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. scale — in music

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