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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rash — a series
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cue — for pool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. spring — a coil
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stand — to bear
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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