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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. season — of the year
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. tube — a container
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pitch — completely
  18. spell — letters
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. spell — magic
  22. season — in sport
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. tube — the underground

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