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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. season — in sport
  7. root — of a word
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. firm — steady
  12. field — a subject
  13. prune — to trim
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. field — farmland
  17. firm — decided
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. prune — to trim
  21. field — for sport
  22. root — the cause
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. firm — a company

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