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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rock — a stone
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. chest — of your body
  6. last — final
  7. chest — a box
  8. rash — hasty
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. rock — music
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. charge — electricity
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. rash — a series
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. content — happy
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rock — to move gently

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