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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. degree — from a university
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. degree — temperature
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. degree — an amount
  21. file — a line of people
  22. season — of the year
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lash — to lash out

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