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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — in sport
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — a thing
  15. stand — to bear
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. object — to protest
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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