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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · calf · present · chair · squash · last · lash · cap

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. squash — to crush
  5. present — the time now
  6. last — finally
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. present — there
  10. cap — of ice
  11. last — final
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. scale — in music
  20. chair — a leader
  21. scale — size or range
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. last — to go on

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