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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rock — a stone
  3. content — the amount
  4. mark — a trace
  5. object — an aim
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rock — music
  11. object — a thing
  12. kid — to tease
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. spell — letters
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. spell — a short time
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. spell — magic
  22. object — to protest
  23. squash — the sport
  24. calf — of the leg

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