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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. net — after costs
  6. cue — a signal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cue — a hint
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cue — for pool
  13. net — for catching
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. face — to confront
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. net — in sport

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