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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 120 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: bay · shower · calf · patient · prune · squash · racket · fan

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. shower — to wash
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. prune — to trim
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. shower — rain
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. squash — to crush
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — a horse colour

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