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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. root — of a plant
  9. prune — to trim
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. root — the cause
  13. game — wild animals
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. game — a match
  20. stand — to bear
  21. root — of a word
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stand — for spectators

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