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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rock — music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. squash — the sport
  13. staff — a stick
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. net — in sport
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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