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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. chest — of your body
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chest — a box
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mouse — for a computer

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