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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to click
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stand — to bear
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. present — a gift
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lash — an eyelash

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