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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 120 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
468
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 · mine · swing · racket · shower · lash · fan · calf

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. shower — rain
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. squash — to crush
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mine — for digging

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