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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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Word bank
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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: object · calf · cue · spring · kick · can · cell · lash

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — the season
  9. cell — a phone
  10. kick — in football
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. cue — for pool
  17. object — an aim
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. spring — a coil
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cell — in biology
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spring — of water
  24. can — to be able to

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