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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bass — low music
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. object — an aim
  12. stock — shares
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — the fish
  16. march — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. march — the month
  19. object — to protest
  20. lie — to recline
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. squash — the sport
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. object — a thing

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