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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hand — in cards
  4. squash — the sport
  5. firm — decided
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. firm — a company
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pit — in a race
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. firm — steady
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. spell — letters
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spell — magic

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