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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: bank · ruler · hide · mug · calf · squash · bat · rock

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mug — to rob
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. squash — the sport
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — for money
  13. rock — music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mug — a face
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mug — a cup
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bat — the animal

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