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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: object · bay · squash · pop · wake · season · current · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. object — to protest
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. current — electric
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. object — an aim
  11. current — happening now
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. current — of water
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pop — music
  19. season — of the year
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — soda
  23. object — a thing
  24. season — in sport

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