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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — the tool
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. row — a line
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. shower — to wash
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. shower — rain
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. lash — to lash out

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