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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spring — the season
  8. tear — from crying
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spring — a coil
  12. saw — the tool
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. spring — of water
  16. suit — clothes
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. saw — the tool
  24. tear — to rip

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