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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. spring — the season
  9. lean — thin
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lean — to bend
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bat — the animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mate — a partner
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. kick — with a leg

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