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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.

Make a worksheet

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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. track — a path
  6. current — electric
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. current — of water
  13. key — in music
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. track — a song
  17. pit — a hole
  18. current — happening now

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