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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 124 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pop — music
  17. rest — a break
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pop — soda

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