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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pound — a weight
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. spring — of water
  7. file — a document
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wake — a trail
  11. march — the month
  12. spring — a coil
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. march — the month
  20. spring — the season
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. march — music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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