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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. snap — to click
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. race — the arms race
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. race — a contest
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. court — of a king

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