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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cue — a hint
  5. band — a ring
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. game — a match
  9. cue — for pool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. kick — in football
  17. band — a music group
  18. cue — a signal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. band — a rubber band

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