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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wound — an injury
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chest — a box
  9. foot — a measure
  10. file — a line of people
  11. last — final
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. spring — the season
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. file — a document
  16. chest — of your body
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. spring — a coil
  19. last — to go on
  20. spring — of water
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. last — finally
  23. chest — of your body
  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