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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. firm — a company
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. firm — decided
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. firm — steady
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. field — farmland
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. lie — to recline
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — for sport

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