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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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468
Word bank
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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. kick — in football
  7. pit — a hole
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. current — of water
  14. game — a match
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. current — happening now
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. track — a song
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. current — electric
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pit — in a race

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