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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rash — a series
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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