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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cap — a hat
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. file — a document
  13. band — a ring
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rest — a break

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