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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
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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: cue · squash · wind · lash · calf · field · track · leaves

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cue — for pool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. squash — to crush
  14. field — farmland
  15. cue — a hint
  16. field — a subject
  17. wind — moving air
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. field — for sport
  24. track — a song

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