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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wind — moving air
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mug — a cup
  6. scale — in music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. tube — a container
  12. scale — size or range
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mug — a face
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. charge — in control
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. charge — a price
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mug — to rob

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