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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lean — thin
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. ball — a dance
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lean — to bend
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. hand — help
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mug — a face
  24. rash — hasty

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