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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. file — a tool
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. file — a line of people
  18. present — the time now
  19. game — wild animals
  20. present — there
  21. file — a document
  22. present — a gift
  23. game — a match
  24. cabinet — ministers

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