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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. clip — for paper
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. clip — a video
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stock — shares
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stock — goods
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. object — an aim
  14. cue — a hint
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. object — a thing
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. clip — to cut
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. object — to protest
  24. trunk — of a tree

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