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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mate — a friend
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fall — to drop
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cue — for pool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. season — in sport
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fall — the season
  15. drill — army training
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. season — of the year
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cue — a signal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fall — to drop

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