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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. present — the time now
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. present — there
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. game — a match
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spell — letters
  23. wound — an injury
  24. present — a gift

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