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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mark — a trace
  4. can — a tin
  5. chip — to eat
  6. squash — to crush
  7. craft — boats
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. squash — the sport
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. shower — rain
  18. craft — a skill
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mark — a grade
  23. shower — to wash
  24. squash — the vegetable

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