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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wake — a trail
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bass — low music
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mouse — the animal

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