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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — to keep track
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. season — in sport
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. track — a path
  9. bass — the fish
  10. track — a song
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bass — low music

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