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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. tube — a container
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. foot — a measure
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. snap — to click
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rash — a series
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rash — hasty
  21. last — to go on
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. foot — part of the body

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