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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ball — a great time
  4. scale — in music
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. kid — child
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hand — help
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. kid — to tease
  16. mug — a face
  17. mine — for digging
  18. hand — in cards
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. season — in sport
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. scale — size or range
  23. season — of the year
  24. mug — to rob

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