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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pop — music
  6. firm — decided
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pop — to visit
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. firm — a company
  12. key — the most important part
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. kick — in football
  16. key — for a lock
  17. season — of the year
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. dip — to sink
  20. season — in sport
  21. key — in music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. firm — steady
  24. lash — an eyelash

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