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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rush — hurry
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. deal — to handle
  14. field — a subject
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. field — farmland
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pass — a permit
  24. deal — a big deal

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