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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rash — a series
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ball — a great time
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bank — for money
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bank — for money
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lash — an eyelash

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