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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 ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. net — after costs
  7. kid — child
  8. present — there
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. net — in sport
  11. present — the time now
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. key — in music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. present — a gift
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. net — for catching
  21. key — for a lock
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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