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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. staff — employees
  5. fall — to drop
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. staff — employees
  8. can — a tin
  9. squash — to crush
  10. staff — a stick
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. can — to be able to
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. can — a tin
  15. fall — the season
  16. rash — a series
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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