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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. foot — a measure
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cap — a lid
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. season — in sport
  16. fine — all right
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. season — of the year
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cap — a hat
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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