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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wind — moving air

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