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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lean — thin
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rock — a stone
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. lean — to bend
  11. last — finally
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. spring — the season
  14. suit — to fit
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rock — music
  17. last — to go on
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. spring — of water
  20. last — final
  21. spring — a coil
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lash — an eyelash

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