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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rash — a series
  10. chair — a leader
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kick — in football
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rash — hasty
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cap — of ice

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