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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. race — humankind
  6. fork — in a road
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wound — an injury
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mug — to rob
  15. hand — help
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. race — a contest

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