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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. staff — employees
  6. sharp — clever
  7. scale — size or range
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. suit — clothes
  10. net — for catching
  11. suit — in cards
  12. kick — in football
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bound — certain
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. suit — to fit
  18. net — in sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. staff — a stick
  22. net — after costs
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bound — obliged

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