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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pop · calf · wake · lean · date · chest · pass

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pop — music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wake — a trail
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lean — thin
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lean — to bend
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chest — a box
  23. pop — soda
  24. squash — to crush

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