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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mark — a grade
  3. tear — from crying
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mug — a face
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. squash — the sport
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. tear — to rip
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mark — a trace
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mug — to rob
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mug — a cup
  21. vault — a safe
  22. squash — to crush
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tear — from crying

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