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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. cap — of ice
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rush — hurry
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spring — the season
  14. cap — a hat
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cap — a lid
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. spring — a coil

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