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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. cell — in biology
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spring — of water
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cell — a phone
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fine — all right
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fine — high quality

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