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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cue — a hint
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cue — a signal
  9. net — for catching
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. net — after costs
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cue — for pool
  18. game — a match
  19. mark — a grade
  20. dip — to sink
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. hand — help

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