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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. field — a subject
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. field — for sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tube — a container
  24. field — farmland

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