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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. tear — to rip
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. track — to keep track
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rush — hurry
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. track — a path
  20. squash — to crush
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. track — a song
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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