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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: rest · straw · squash · craft · mark · tube · lie · calf

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. craft — boats
  3. mark — a grade
  4. squash — to crush
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. craft — a skill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rest — a break
  11. squash — the sport
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. tube — a container
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. calf — a young animal

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