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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 120 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pass — a permit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. track — a path
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wound — an injury
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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