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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 116 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. kick — in football
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. shower — rain
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wax — to grow
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pound — a weight
  24. shower — to wash

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