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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.

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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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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fork — in a road
  3. shower — to wash
  4. net — in sport
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. shower — rain
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. net — after costs
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. net — for catching
  18. pass — a permit

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