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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — army training
  4. chair — a leader
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bass — low music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rock — music
  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