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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. face — part of the head
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bear — the animal
  9. squash — the sport
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. face — to confront
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. drill — a practice
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bass — the fish
  24. squash — the vegetable

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