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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 116 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
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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: board · mouse · calf · squash · degree · key · rush · last

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. squash — to crush
  3. board — a committee
  4. last — to go on
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rush — hurry
  9. degree — temperature
  10. last — finally
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. squash — the sport
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. key — in music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. last — final
  19. key — for a lock
  20. board — to get on
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mouse — the animal
  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