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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. root — of a plant
  8. board — to get on
  9. root — of a word
  10. rest — a break
  11. bat — the animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. board — a committee
  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