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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fine — all right
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. key — the most important part
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. bat — the animal
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bat — for baseball

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