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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. suit — in cards
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. suit — clothes
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rash — a series
  12. cue — a hint
  13. present — the time now
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. snap — to click
  19. cue — a signal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rash — hasty
  24. suit — to fit

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