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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bulb — for light
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. root — of a plant
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. root — of a word
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — hurry
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. root — the cause
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cue — for pool

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