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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hand — help
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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