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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rash — a series
  9. ball — a dance
  10. tube — the underground
  11. ball — a great time
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. row — a line
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. tube — a container
  24. mouse — for a computer

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