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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: squash · kick · object · toast · cap · roll · bass · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. roll — a list
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bass — low music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. roll — a cake
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. toast — bread
  14. bass — the fish
  15. object — an aim
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. object — a thing
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. kick — in football
  20. object — to protest
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bass — the instrument

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