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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. dip — to sink
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. perch — the fish
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. clip — for paper
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bank — for money
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. calf — of the leg

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