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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.

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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: straw · squash · stem · racket · staff · wave · pound · safe

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. staff — employees
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. squash — to crush
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pound — a weight
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. staff — employees
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pound — to hit hard

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