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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. dip — to sink
  5. squash — the sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. suit — in cards
  11. last — final
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. suit — to fit
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. last — to go on
  24. trunk — of a tree

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