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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pop — music
  5. present — the time now
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. net — after costs
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. present — there
  15. craft — a skill
  16. present — a gift
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. net — for catching
  22. craft — boats
  23. net — in sport
  24. pop — soda

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