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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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468
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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rock — a stone
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. squash — the sport
  14. game — a match
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lean — thin
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wind — moving air
  22. kick — in football
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rock — to move gently

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