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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. net — after costs
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. net — for catching
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rest — a break
  9. mug — a face
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pound — a weight
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. net — in sport

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