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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mug — to rob
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mug — a face
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. branch — a division
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. band — a music group
  18. mug — a cup
  19. deal — to handle
  20. roll — a list
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. roll — a cake
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. calf — of the leg

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