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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mug — a face
  5. kick — in football
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mug — a cup
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rock — music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — an aircraft

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