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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: foot · nail · calf · squash · track · current · spell · pass

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. spell — letters
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pass — a permit
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. spell — magic
  8. squash — to crush
  9. foot — a measure
  10. track — a song
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. spell — a short time
  14. squash — the sport
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. track — a path
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. track — to keep track
  19. current — electric
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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