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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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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. row — to paddle
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ball — a great time
  6. present — a gift
  7. snap — to click
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. row — a line
  10. present — the time now
  11. suit — clothes
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. season — of the year
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. sharp — clever
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. season — in sport
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. suit — to fit
  22. present — there
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. suit — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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