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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ball — a great time
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. charge — in control
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. charge — a price
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lean — to bend
  24. dip — to sink

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