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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. squash — the sport
  3. last — final
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — certain
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. squash — to crush
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. suit — to fit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bound — obliged
  14. last — finally
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bass — low music
  20. bound — tied together
  21. suit — in cards
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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