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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 · wave · bay · court · stem · calf · bore · band

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. band — a music group
  3. bore — to drill
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bore — to tire
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. court — of law
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. band — a ring
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. court — of a king
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. court — for sport

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