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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. chip — to eat
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — a partner
  17. shower — rain
  18. row — a line
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chip — for betting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lash — an eyelash

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