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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. can — a tin
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spring — a coil
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. swing — in golf
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. swing — music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. can — a tin

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