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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ball — a great time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. snap — to click
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kid — child
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stand — to bear
  20. branch — a division
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ball — a dance
  24. squash — the vegetable

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