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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — the tool
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pitch — completely
  15. content — the amount
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tear — to rip
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. squash — the sport
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. tear — from crying
  24. content — happy

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