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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hand — in cards
  5. staff — employees
  6. hand — help
  7. kick — in football
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bound — tied together
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bound — certain
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — thin
  24. lash — to lash out

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