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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cue — for pool
  3. race — humankind
  4. face — to point toward
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bulb — for light
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bat — the animal
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cue — a signal
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cue — a hint
  18. face — part of the head
  19. race — a contest
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. face — to confront
  22. charge — a price
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. charge — in control

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