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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. kick — in football
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. season — of the year
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. season — in sport
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. hand — help
  24. pound — a weight

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