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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. kid — to tease
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. row — to paddle
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — a line
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. kid — child
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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