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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. track — a path
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. track — to keep track
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rock — music
  19. scale — in music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. track — a song
  22. scale — size or range
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bound — tied together

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