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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cell — a phone
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tear — from crying
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. tear — to rip
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rash — hasty

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