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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. hand — in cards
  5. band — a music group
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. net — in sport
  11. tube — a container
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. net — for catching
  14. sharp — clever
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. band — a ring
  20. net — after costs
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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