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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. can — to be able to
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. can — a tin
  10. plane — a tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. can — a tin
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ball — a dance
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. shower — rain
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. shower — to wash
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ball — a great time

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