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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 120 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 · calf · rest · fine · kid · field · lean · pop

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. kid — child
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. field — a subject
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. pop — soda
  14. fine — high quality
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. field — for sport
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lean — thin
  23. field — farmland
  24. pop — music

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