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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. net — after costs
  3. squash — to crush
  4. net — in sport
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. net — for catching
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kick — in football
  14. plane — a tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. staff — a stick
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. staff — employees
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. squash — the sport
  24. coach — a trainer

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