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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. present — there
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. court — of a king
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. court — of law
  9. bulb — for light
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. present — the time now
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kid — child
  22. present — a gift
  23. court — for sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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