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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. sharp — clever
  9. shower — rain
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mug — a face
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. swing — music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. swing — in golf

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