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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — high quality
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fine — all right
  14. hand — help
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitch — completely
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hand — part of the body

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