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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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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fine — all right
  5. land — to come down
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. scale — in music
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. land — ground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fine — high quality
  16. tube — a container
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. land — a country
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. lash — to lash out

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