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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 124 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rock — a stone
  7. drill — army training
  8. net — for catching
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. drill — the tool
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rest — a break
  19. drill — a practice
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rest — what's left

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