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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. club — for dancing
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. club — for golf
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. band — a music group
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. club — a group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. branch — a division
  24. band — a ring

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