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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chest — of your body
  6. charge — a price
  7. dip — to sink
  8. charge — electricity
  9. object — an aim
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. chest — of your body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. charge — in control
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chest — a box
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. object — a thing

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