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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rest — a break
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. present — the time now
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. court — of law
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. present — a gift
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rest — what's left
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. present — there

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