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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: sharp · safe · calf · rest · lash · clip · mark · season

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. clip — for paper
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. season — in sport
  7. clip — a video
  8. sharp — clever
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rest — a break
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — what's left
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. clip — to cut
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  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