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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. sharp — clever
  4. object — a thing
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. charge — electricity
  7. object — an aim
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. charge — in control
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. charge — a price
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitch — a sports field

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