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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bound — certain
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. file — a tool
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. file — a document
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. snap — to click
  19. lie — to recline
  20. file — a line of people
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lash — to lash out

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