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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. kick — in football
  10. charge — in control
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. dip — to sink
  17. plane — a tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. charge — a price

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