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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wind — moving air
  7. kick — in football
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. key — in music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wind — moving air
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bass — low music
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pitcher — a jug

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