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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. rush — a thrill
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rest — a break
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. clip — for paper
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rest — what's left
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. clip — a video
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. clip — to cut
  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