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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wind — moving air
  7. game — a match
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bass — low music
  14. charge — in control
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. charge — a price
  22. land — to come down
  23. club — for dancing
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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