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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mate — a friend
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lie — to recline
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tube — a container
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rock — music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. tube — in a tire

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