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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: wind · lash · pop · leaves · squash · lie · stem · calf

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. squash — to crush
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. squash — the 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