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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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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 · tear · rush · calf · root · face · lash · straw

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. face — part of the head
  5. squash — the sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. face — to confront
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. root — the cause
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rush — hurry

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