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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 116 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: calf · staff · wound · snap · branch · season · squash · ball

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. squash — the sport
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. season — of the year
  9. squash — to crush
  10. branch — a division
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. season — in sport
  14. ball — a dance
  15. snap — to click
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wound — an injury
  19. staff — a stick
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wound — an injury
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. staff — employees

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