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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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