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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · chair · rush · stick · calf · lash · trunk · mug

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mug — a face
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. calf — of the leg

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