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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mug — to rob
  6. board — a committee
  7. mug — a cup
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bat — the animal
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. board — to get on
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. scale — in music
  19. mug — a face
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. scale — size or range

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