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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. last — final
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. march — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mate — to breed
  13. last — finally
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. march — the month
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. last — to go on
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. march — the month

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