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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · mug · mine · rash · game · ball · shower · sharp

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ball — a great time
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. shower — rain
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mug — to rob
  8. game — wild animals
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mug — a face
  14. game — a match
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ball — a dance
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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