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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: calf · rush · track · squash · lash · game · ground · season

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. track — a path
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. season — of the year
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ground — a position
  11. season — in sport
  12. ground — crushed
  13. squash — the sport
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. track — to keep track
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. track — a song
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — hurry
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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