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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stand — to bear
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. net — for catching
  14. kick — in football
  15. net — after costs
  16. mug — to rob
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mug — a face

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