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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kid — child
  10. game — a match
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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