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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. swing — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. squash — to crush
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. shower — to wash
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — a price
  10. shower — rain
  11. bear — the animal
  12. charge — in control
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. charge — electricity
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wake — before a funeral

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