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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: key · calf · ball · bat · straw · lash · date · hide

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. key — for a lock
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ball — a great time
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ball — a dance
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. key — in music
  15. bat — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. key — the most important part

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