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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. roll — a cake
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. present — there
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. roll — a list
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. present — a gift
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. present — the time now

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