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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 120 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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chest — a box
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. plane — a tool

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