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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rash — hasty
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. content — happy
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. content — the amount
  15. rash — a series
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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