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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. rest — a break
  4. can — a tin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. can — to be able to
  10. squash — to crush
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. deal — to handle
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. drill — army training
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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