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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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468
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. can — to be able to
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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