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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mate — to breed
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. band — a ring
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fine — all right
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fine — high quality
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. nail — for a hammer

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