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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: stand · straw · fine · race · wake · calf · trunk · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. race — humankind
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. race — the arms race
  14. wake — a trail
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. race — a contest
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fine — all right
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stand — to bear

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