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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. swing — to play on
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. swing — music
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cold — an illness
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cold — not warm
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. arm — part of the body

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