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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 116 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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bound — obliged
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bound — tied together
  11. kick — in football
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. kid — child
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. bound — certain
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. calf — of the leg

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