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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. face — to confront
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. face — to point toward
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. craft — boats
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lash — to lash out

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