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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pound — a weight
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. season — in sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. kick — in football
  24. season — of the year

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