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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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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: saw · bound · mine · mark · squash · calf · present · can

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mine — for digging
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. present — there
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. can — a tin
  7. bound — tied together
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the sport
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mark — a grade
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bound — obliged
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. present — a gift
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bound — certain
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mark — a trace
  24. present — the time now

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