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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: bank · lash · squash · calf · face · bat · bulb · tube

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bank — for money
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — to confront
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. tube — a container
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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