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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.

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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. squash — the sport
  17. roll — a list
  18. squash — to crush
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ball — a great time
  23. net — in sport
  24. mate — to breed

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