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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. squash — to crush
  3. net — for catching
  4. stand — to bear
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. net — in sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. net — after costs
  18. bat — the animal
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stand — on your feet

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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