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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. dip — to sink
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lean — to bend
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. kick — in football

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