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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. object — an aim
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. charge — a price
  7. present — there
  8. rash — hasty
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rash — a series
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. object — a thing
  14. present — the time now
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. object — to protest
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. tear — to rip
  22. present — a gift
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. charge — in control

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