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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rest — a break
  9. fork — in a road
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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