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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. present — a gift
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cold — an illness
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mug — a face
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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