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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bass — low music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bass — the fish
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. squash — to crush
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rush — hurry

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