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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: calf · wound · ground · squash · object · board · lash · last

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. last — finally
  5. squash — to crush
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — final
  9. board — to get on
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. board — a committee
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. object — an aim
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wound — an injury
  20. object — a thing
  21. last — to go on
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. object — to protest

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