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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · mark · stem · bass · squash · calf · mine · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. march — the month
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bass — low music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. squash — to crush
  19. march — music
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. march — the month
  24. bass — the fish

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