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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: stem · lash · calf · sharp · hide · shower · saw · squash

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. saw — the tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stem — to come from
  15. shower — rain
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. calf — of the leg

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