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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. drill — the tool
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. drill — army training
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bay — a horse colour

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