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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: shower · field · squash · cue · firm · cap · lash · calf

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. field — for sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cap — a hat
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. firm — decided
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. shower — to wash
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cue — a signal
  14. firm — a company
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cap — a lid
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. field — a subject
  20. cue — for pool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. field — farmland
  23. firm — steady
  24. calf — a young animal

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