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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lean — thin
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. suit — clothes
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. row — a line
  14. lean — to bend
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mate — a partner
  17. last — final
  18. ball — a dance
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. row — to paddle
  24. ball — a round shape

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