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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fine — high quality
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lean — thin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fine — all right
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wind — moving air
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wind — to turn a key

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