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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: lash · present · craft · bowl · calf · wind · track · trunk

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. present — the time now
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. present — a gift
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. track — to keep track
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wind — moving air
  12. present — there
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. track — a path
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. craft — boats
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wind — moving air
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. track — a song

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