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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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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: calf · squash · key · trunk · lash · cell · pound · rush

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. key — for a lock
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rush — hurry
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. key — the most important part
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cell — a phone
  22. squash — the sport
  23. key — in music
  24. lash — to lash out

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