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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bass — low music
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. track — a song
  9. mark — a grade
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mark — a trace
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. face — part of the head

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