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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. hand — help
  5. spring — the season
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hand — in cards
  8. spring — a coil
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. kid — to tease
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. kid — child
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rash — a series
  24. bowl — a dish

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