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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. present — the time now
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. drill — army training
  15. branch — a division
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rash — a series
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. foot — a measure
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. drill — the tool
  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