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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ground — a position
  5. bass — low music
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. tube — a container
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mug — a cup
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bound — tied together
  18. tube — the underground
  19. kid — child
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mug — a face
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mark — a grade

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