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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. present — the time now
  3. rest — what's left
  4. object — a thing
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mine — for digging
  7. present — there
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rest — what's left
  12. present — a gift
  13. object — an aim
  14. bass — low music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rest — a break
  22. lean — thin
  23. hand — help
  24. object — to protest

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