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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stand — to bear
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — in music
  15. fall — the season
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fall — to drop
  19. swing — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. prune — to trim

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