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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
468
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: squash · pound · snap · row · can · bass · staff · calf

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. pound — a weight
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bass — low music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. staff — a stick
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. can — a tin
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. can — a tin
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. staff — employees
  17. squash — the sport
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. row — a line
  22. staff — employees
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bass — the fish

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