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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. clip — to cut
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — in music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. clip — for paper
  14. cue — a signal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. squash — to crush
  20. clip — a video
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fan — to cool the air

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