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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 124 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. firm — decided
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. firm — steady
  15. rest — a break
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — the season
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. firm — a company
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mouse — the animal

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