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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. spell — letters
  3. present — there
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spell — magic
  11. bat — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pit — in a race
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. can — a tin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. present — the time now
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. present — a gift
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. can — a tin

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