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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. tube — a container
  4. season — in sport
  5. hand — help
  6. season — of the year
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. firm — a company
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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