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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: hand · bear · wound · stick · lash · kick · last · foot

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. kick — in football
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — final
  18. hand — help
  19. last — to go on
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hand — in cards
  22. last — finally
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. lash — an eyelash

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