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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: squash · racket · lie · calf · stick · shower · fall · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fall — the season
  4. squash — the sport
  5. fall — to drop
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. shower — rain
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. squash — to crush
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — to recline
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fall — to drop
  24. shower — to wash

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