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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bank — for money
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chest — a box
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. chair — to sit on

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