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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. shower — rain
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. shower — to wash
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fine — all right
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitch — completely
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ball — a great time
  19. club — a group
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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