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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: pitcher · ground · bowl · rest · lash · object · calf · trunk

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ground — a position
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. object — to protest
  6. rest — a break
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rest — what's left
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — an aim
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rest — what's left
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. object — a thing
  24. bowl — a football final

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