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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. net — after costs
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mug — a face
  10. object — an aim
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. object — a thing
  14. lean — thin
  15. object — to protest
  16. mug — a cup
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. net — in sport
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wake — a trail

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