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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mate — to breed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mate — a friend
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fall — to drop
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mate — a partner
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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