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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. kick — in football

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