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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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. land — to come down
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. swing — music
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. swing — in golf
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. craft — a skill
  14. swing — to play on
  15. deal — to handle
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — music
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. craft — boats
  24. land — ground

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