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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. land — a country
  4. staff — employees
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. swing — in golf
  7. net — in sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mug — a face
  11. land — to come down
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. hand — help
  16. swing — music
  17. mug — a cup
  18. land — ground
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lash — to lash out

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