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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hand — help
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. hand — in cards
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — a container
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. calf — a young animal

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