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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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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: board · snap · calf · rush · cell · squash · bowl · stick

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. board — to get on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. board — a committee
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cell — a phone
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rush — hurry
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cell — in biology
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to click

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