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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. drill — army training
  2. game — a match
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cue — for pool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wound — an injury
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. season — of the year
  9. kick — in football
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. drill — a practice
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cue — a hint
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bass — low music
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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