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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. squash — to crush
  4. saw — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — help
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. squash — the sport
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rest — a break
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rest — what's left
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — part of the body

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