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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: bank · squash · spring · foot · nail · pound · saw · calf

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. saw — the tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. spring — of water
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bank — for money
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pound — a weight
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bank — for money
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. squash — the sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. foot — a measure
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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