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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. vault — a safe
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitcher — a jug

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