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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · calf · field · wound · wind · squash · season · prune

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wound — an injury
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. field — a subject
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. squash — the sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. season — of the year
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pass — a permit
  22. season — in sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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