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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.

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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tube — a container
  4. rash — a series
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. snap — to click
  10. cold — not warm
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cold — an illness
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. tube — the underground
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. safe — a strongbox

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