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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: current · bay · squash · degree · lash · calf · coach · stem

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — electric
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. degree — temperature
  8. current — of water
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. current — happening now
  14. stem — to come from
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. squash — the sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. degree — an amount

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