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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. present — the time now
  5. pitch — completely
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. present — there
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mug — to rob
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. game — a match
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. branch — a division
  20. mug — a cup
  21. present — a gift
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mate — a friend
  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