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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 120 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. drill — army training
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. drill — the tool
  15. foot — a measure
  16. net — after costs
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. calf — of the leg

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