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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 116 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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bass — the fish
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cell — a phone
  15. squash — the sport
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bass — low music
  23. calf — of the leg
  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