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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. tear — from crying
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pit — in a race
  13. tear — from crying
  14. vault — a safe
  15. squash — to crush
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. tear — to rip
  24. calf — a young animal

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