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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rest — what's left
  3. field — a subject
  4. tube — a container
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. sharp — clever
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rest — a break
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rest — what's left
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. tube — the underground
  22. field — for sport
  23. branch — a division
  24. field — farmland

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