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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wake — a trail
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stem — of a plant

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