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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fine — all right
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wake — a trail
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bark — of a tree

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