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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. content — happy
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rest — a break
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bound — certain
  24. bulb — for light

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