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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. present — there
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. clip — for paper
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. present — the time now
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. present — a gift
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. clip — a video
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. clip — to cut

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