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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. band — a music group
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. band — a ring
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. kid — child
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. band — a rubber band

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