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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 116 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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rest — a break
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rest — what's left
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rash — a series
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mark — a trace
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lash — to lash out

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