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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cap — a lid
  3. sharp — clever
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cap — of ice
  11. spell — magic
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cap — a hat
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. calf — a young animal

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