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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rock — music
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lean — to bend
  13. dip — to sink
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lean — thin
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. file — a document
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. file — a tool
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. file — a line of people
  24. calf — a young animal

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