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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. tube — a container
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mine — for digging
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. prune — to trim
  24. sharp — exactly

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