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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: pit · plane · mate · stock · calf · rush · leaves · squash

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mate — a partner
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mate — to breed
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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