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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. race — humankind
  6. last — finally
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. race — the arms race
  12. last — final
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — to recline
  15. saw — the tool
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. race — a contest
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. last — to go on
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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