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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. swing — music
  6. clip — a video
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. tube — a container
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. swing — to play on
  12. clip — to cut
  13. swing — in golf
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. tube — the underground
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. clip — for paper
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. leaves — lets stay

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