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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. clip — for paper
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. deal — to handle
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. clip — to cut
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. clip — a video

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