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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ball — a dance
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wake — a trail
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. ball — a great time
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. calf — a young animal

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