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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pitch — completely
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. tube — the underground
  17. net — after costs
  18. rush — hurry
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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