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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fall — the season
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bear — to put up with

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