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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pop — soda
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. land — a country
  6. snap — to click
  7. pit — in a race
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mark — a grade
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. capital — money
  15. mark — a trace
  16. land — to come down
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. land — ground
  20. capital — a city
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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