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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. firm — steady
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tube — the underground
  11. firm — decided
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. dip — to sink
  15. tube — a container
  16. firm — a company
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. dip — to dunk

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