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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. present — the time now
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. present — a gift
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bass — low music
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pit — a hole
  12. present — there
  13. rash — a series
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fine — all right

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