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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rash — a series
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. kid — child
  17. rash — hasty
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pitch — a sports field

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