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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. land — a country
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. club — a group
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — to come down
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. land — ground
  22. club — for golf
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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