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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. charge — electricity
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. kick — in football
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. land — a country
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. charge — in control
  13. land — ground
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — a price
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. land — to come down
  23. pound — a weight
  24. straw — a straw man

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