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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bat — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. content — happy
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pop — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. squash — to crush
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. content — the amount
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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