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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chest — a box
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. season — of the year
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. season — in sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chest — of your body
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wake — a trail
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chest — of your body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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