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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 124 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. suit — clothes
  4. spring — a coil
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. spring — the season
  11. present — the time now
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. present — there
  17. suit — to fit
  18. club — for golf
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. suit — in cards
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitch — completely
  24. spring — of water

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