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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rest — a break
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pitch — completely
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. safe — out of danger
  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