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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. band — a ring
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. band — a music group
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rash — a series
  19. spell — letters
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. spell — a short time
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rash — on the skin

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