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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. scale — in music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pop — soda
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. chair — a leader
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pop — to visit
  15. scale — size or range
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pop — music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. kick — in football
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mate — a friend

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