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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mug — a face
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rest — a break
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mug — a cup
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mate — a partner
  24. straw — a straw man

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