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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wound — an injury
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wound — an injury
  22. row — a line
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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