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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. track — a path
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. charge — in control
  9. bat — the animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — hurry
  13. track — a song
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lash — an eyelash

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