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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: nail · leaves · toast · squash · calf · dip · pitcher · field

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. field — farmland
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. dip — to sink
  10. squash — to crush
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. squash — the sport
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. toast — bread
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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