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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mug — to rob
  6. hand — help
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. swing — music
  11. mug — a face
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. kick — in football
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. hand — in cards
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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