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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: pound · stand · tear · calf · rush · squash · key · chair

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pound — a weight
  5. key — in music
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stand — to bear
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. key — for a lock
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chair — a leader
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pound — to hit hard

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