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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rash — hasty
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. firm — a company
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — to crush
  16. firm — steady
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. perch — the fish
  20. last — final
  21. firm — decided
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bass — low music
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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