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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 120 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lean — thin
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wake — a trail
  8. game — wild animals
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. lean — to bend
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. game — a match
  16. staff — a stick
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. staff — employees
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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