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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. file — a document
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. can — a tin
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. staff — employees
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. file — a tool
  16. can — to be able to
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pop — music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. can — a tin
  23. file — a line of people
  24. staff — employees

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