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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wind — moving air
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rule — government
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. shower — rain
  21. wind — moving air
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rock — music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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