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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · tear · mug · calf · ruler · cell

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mug — a face
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cell — in biology
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mug — a cup
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone

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