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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. pop — soda
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. spell — letters
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pop — music
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. scale — in music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spell — magic
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. fall — to drop
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fall — the season
  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