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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bass — the fish
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. present — a gift
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. row — a line
  12. present — there
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. present — the time now
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bass — low music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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