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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · squash · foot · board · calf · snap · straw · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. foot — a measure
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. snap — to click
  13. board — to get on
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. board — a committee
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. straw — dry grass

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