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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. dip — to sink
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. hand — in cards
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. staff — a stick
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. hand — help
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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