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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cell — a phone
  5. land — a country
  6. last — final
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. last — to go on
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pop — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. land — ground
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — a series
  20. last — finally
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pop — soda

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