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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. row — to paddle
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. capital — a city
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. capital — money
  24. row — a line

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