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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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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. shower — to wash
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. shower — rain
  7. band — a music group
  8. bear — the animal
  9. band — a ring
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. spell — letters
  16. lean — thin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. spell — a short time
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. spell — magic
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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