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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.

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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: court · bay · bulb · stick · wound · calf · straw · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. court — of a king
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. court — of law
  18. bulb — for light
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. court — for sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. straw — dry grass

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