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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · lean · date · lash · track · wave · calf · straw

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. track — a path
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. date — the fruit
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. track — a song
  16. lean — thin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. track — to keep track

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