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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wake — a trail
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hand — help
  18. bank — for money
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bank — of a river
  23. snap — to click
  24. hand — in cards

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