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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. hand — help
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ball — a great time
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a dance

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