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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bank — of a river
  6. court — of a king
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mate — a friend
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. last — finally
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mate — a partner
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rush — to hurry

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