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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — electricity
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fine — all right
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wound — an injury
  12. charge — a price
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. charge — in control
  17. fine — high quality
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. swing — music
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. can — a tin

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