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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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468
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: pass · squash · calf · kid · saw · fan · can · pound

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pound — a weight
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pass — a permit
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. can — a tin
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — to be able to
  21. kid — child
  22. squash — to crush
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — a tin

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