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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. roll — a cake
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. race — a contest
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. court — for sport
  12. sharp — clever
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. court — of a king
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. race — humankind
  22. roll — a list
  23. court — of law
  24. lash — an eyelash

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