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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 120 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: lash · wind · present · rest · deal · calf

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. present — a gift
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rest — what's left
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. present — there
  10. rest — a break
  11. wind — moving air
  12. present — the time now
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wind — moving air

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