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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fine — high quality
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. season — in sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rest — what's left
  15. branch — a division
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fine — all right
  23. rest — a break
  24. season — of the year

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