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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fine — all right
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fine — high quality
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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