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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lean — thin
  7. hand — help
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bat — the animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mark — a trace
  19. foot — a measure
  20. shower — rain
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bat — in an idiom

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