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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rash — hasty
  3. net — after costs
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. net — in sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rash — a series
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. net — for catching
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chip — to eat
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. straw — a straw man

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