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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cap — of ice
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cap — a hat
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. kid — to tease
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. kid — child
  18. cold — an illness
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. suit — to fit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. trunk — of a car

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