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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. net — for catching
  5. content — happy
  6. net — after costs
  7. hand — help
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. key — in music
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cap — a hat
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cap — of ice
  18. key — for a lock
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — the most important part
  21. net — in sport
  22. content — the amount
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cap — a lid

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