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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. tube — a container
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. squash — the sport
  17. capital — a city
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. capital — money

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