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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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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: squash · last · spring · object · net · drill · bank · calf

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. drill — army training
  3. bank — for money
  4. last — final
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — to protest
  7. net — after costs
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. net — for catching
  11. drill — the tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. object — an aim
  16. net — in sport
  17. last — to go on
  18. drill — a practice
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. spring — the season
  21. last — finally
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bank — of a river
  24. squash — to crush

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