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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. content — the amount
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. swing — to play on
  15. content — happy
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bear — the animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. swing — music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. calf — a young 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