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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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 — a whip stroke
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wax — to grow
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  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