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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bass — low music
  5. object — an aim
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. object — a thing
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bass — the fish
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pitch — completely

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