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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · lash · kick · tear · row · charge

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. charge — a price
  3. kick — in football
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. row — a line
  8. charge — in control
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. charge — electricity
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. row — to paddle

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