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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. chair — a leader
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. can — a tin
  7. rock — music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. can — a tin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. can — to be able to
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rock — to move gently

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