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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. lie — to recline
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. season — in sport
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bear — the animal

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