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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rest — a break
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — boats
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bound — certain
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bound — obliged
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. craft — a skill

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