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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. squash — the sport
  3. last — finally
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. net — after costs
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bear — the animal
  13. last — final
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. net — for catching
  17. mug — to rob
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bear — the animal
  20. net — in sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pound — a weight
  23. vault — a safe
  24. last — to go on

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