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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: calf · mouse · fan · lash · object · foot · squash · stem

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. object — an aim
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. squash — the sport
  19. object — a thing
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stem — of a plant

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