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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. charge — a price
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. charge — in control
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — electricity
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wind — moving air
  24. hand — help

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