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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. roll — a list
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. plane — a tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. squash — to crush
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stem — to come from
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stem — of a plant
  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