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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 · rash · mug · mark · chest · track · calf · mate

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. track — a song
  5. mark — a trace
  6. track — a path
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mate — to breed
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mug — to rob
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rash — a series
  24. chest — of your body

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