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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chip — to eat

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