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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. root — of a word
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. root — the cause
  14. face — part of the head
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wind — moving air
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. face — to confront
  20. bank — for money
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  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