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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rash — a series
  8. stock — goods
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. staff — employees
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stock — shares
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. toast — bread
  19. staff — employees
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rash — on the skin

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