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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fall — the season
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fall — to drop
  6. content — happy
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. roll — a list
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. roll — a cake
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. content — the amount
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. scale — in music
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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