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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 124 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pound — a weight
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. last — final
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. last — to go on
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. last — finally
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. racket — a loud noise

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