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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 124 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fall — to drop
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. net — after costs
  8. mug — a face
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. firm — decided
  11. fall — the season
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. mug — to rob
  19. firm — a company
  20. toast — bread
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — for catching
  23. firm — steady
  24. rush — a thrill

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