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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. last — to go on
  10. rock — music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. court — of law
  15. last — final
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rock — a stone
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. rash — a series

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