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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mate — a friend
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fork — in a road
  13. lean — to bend
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pound — a weight
  17. scale — in music
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. squash — to crush
  20. staff — employees
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. staff — employees

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