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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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. object — an aim
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. squash — the sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. game — wild animals
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rest — what's left
  19. game — a match
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. rock — a stone
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rock — music

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