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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cell — a phone
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wound — an injury
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. march — music
  14. track — a song
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. track — a path
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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