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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. shower — rain
  6. spring — of water
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spring — the season
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. snap — to click
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. spring — a coil
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. lash — to lash out

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