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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. perch — the fish
  15. game — a match
  16. charge — in control
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. charge — a price
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lie — to recline
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mate — a partner
  24. lie — an untruth

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