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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: dip · calf · squash · roll · hand · can · fall · foot

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — to crush
  4. hand — in cards
  5. dip — to sink
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. roll — a cake
  9. fall — the season
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. foot — a measure
  12. squash — the sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. can — a tin
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. roll — a list
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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