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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — in football
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. race — humankind
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mug — to rob
  14. race — a contest
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. race — the arms race
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mug — a face
  21. sharp — clever
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mug — a cup
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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