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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ground — a position
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ground — the earth
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. ground — crushed
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. saw — the tool
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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