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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. wind — moving air

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