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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.

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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 · game · mark · calf · lash · land · mug · squash

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mug — a face
  12. game — wild animals
  13. land — to come down
  14. mug — to rob
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mug — a cup

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