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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. spell — magic
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — in music
  10. spell — letters
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wound — an injury
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. key — the most important part
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. drill — army training
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wound — an injury

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