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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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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. march — the month
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cue — a signal
  7. land — ground
  8. rest — a break
  9. bat — the animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cue — a hint
  12. march — music
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cue — for pool
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. land — a country
  18. march — the month
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rest — what's left
  22. land — to come down
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rest — what's left

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