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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 120 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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lean — thin
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ball — a round shape

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