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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. object — to protest
  5. spell — letters
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. court — of a king
  15. scale — in music
  16. spell — magic
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. court — for sport
  19. scale — size or range
  20. object — an aim
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. object — a thing
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. court — of law

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