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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. spring — of water
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fine — high quality
  13. dip — to sink
  14. spring — the season
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rash — a series
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fine — all right
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. plane — a tool

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