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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. shower — rain
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pop — soda
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. clip — to cut
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. shower — to wash
  21. tube — a container
  22. clip — a video
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. dip — a sauce

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