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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 · row · staff · wake · leaves · date · squash · coach

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wake — a trail
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. staff — employees
  7. squash — the sport
  8. date — the fruit
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. row — a line
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. staff — employees
  20. row — to paddle
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. squash — to crush
  24. leaves — to go away

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