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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — help
  10. kid — child
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pitch — completely
  16. kid — to tease
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. swing — to play on
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fork — in a road
  24. swing — 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