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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. clip — a video
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. clip — for paper
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fork — in a road
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pound — a weight
  11. clip — to cut
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. charge — in control
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. charge — a price
  23. squash — the sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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