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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rash — a series
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kid — child
  16. snap — to click
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. track — a path
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. tear — from crying
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. tear — from crying
  24. track — a song

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