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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 116 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. charge — a price
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ball — a dance
  10. present — the time now
  11. charge — in control
  12. present — a gift
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. present — there
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mug — a cup
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. charge — electricity

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