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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. spell — letters
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mark — a grade
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stem — to come from
  15. vault — a safe
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mark — a trace
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — in a road
  22. spell — magic
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lie — to recline

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