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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. last — to go on
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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