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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. row — a line
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bass — low music
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bear — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. row — to paddle

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