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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. dip — to sink
  13. ball — a great time
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. ball — a dance
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fan — a supporter

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