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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mate — a friend
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — all right

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