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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. spell — letters
  9. lean — thin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. scale — in music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lash — an eyelash

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