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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fall — the season
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. court — of law
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cap — of ice
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fall — to drop
  14. drill — the tool
  15. court — of a king
  16. pass — a permit
  17. spring — of water
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. spring — the season
  23. cap — a lid
  24. court — for sport

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