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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. file — a document
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wind — moving air
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. kick — in football
  14. snap — to click
  15. file — a tool
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ball — a great time
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. file — a line of people
  24. lash — to lash out

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