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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. squash — the sport
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — a committee
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. drill — army training
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mark — a grade
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. sharp — clever
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. sharp — with an edge

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