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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. firm — a company
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. spring — of water
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. firm — decided
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cell — in biology
  16. spring — the season
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. band — a music group
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — a coil
  22. band — a ring
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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