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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. face — to confront
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. season — of the year
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. season — in sport
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. face — part of the head
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. leaves — to go away

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