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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. squash — to crush
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stock — goods
  20. spell — magic
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rest — a break
  23. cue — for pool
  24. spell — letters

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