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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. club — a group
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. club — for golf
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — music
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. face — to point toward
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — to confront
  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