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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. branch — a division
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. roll — a cake
  6. season — of the year
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. squash — the sport
  11. season — in sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lie — to recline
  19. squash — to crush
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. roll — a list
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lie — an untruth

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