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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. suit — in cards
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lean — to bend
  9. scale — in music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. squash — the sport
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. scale — size or range
  14. snap — to click
  15. lean — thin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tube — a container
  19. squash — to crush
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. lean — to rest against

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