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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: wind · season · calf · lean · root · nail · squash · present

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lean — to bend
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. present — the time now
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wind — moving air
  19. present — a gift
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. present — there
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. lean — thin
  24. squash — to crush

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