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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. staff — employees
  4. mug — to rob
  5. dip — to sink
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bat — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. face — to confront
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wind — moving air

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