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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lie — to recline
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. object — a thing
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. object — an aim
  16. fall — to drop
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. last — final
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fall — the season
  22. last — to go on
  23. object — to protest
  24. calf — a young animal

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