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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: rash · hide · lean · calf · jam · lash · spring · cabinet

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spring — of water
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. spring — a coil
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — the season
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. lean — thin
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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