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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. season — of the year
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. chest — a box
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. craft — boats
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chest — of your body
  23. season — in sport
  24. bat — the animal

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