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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. squash — to crush
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wound — an injury
  12. snap — to click
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. calf — of the leg

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