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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. kick — in football
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. current — of water
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. track — a song
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. track — a path
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. key — in music
  15. bat — the animal
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. current — electric
  19. foot — a measure
  20. track — to keep track
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. current — happening now
  23. pit — a hole
  24. foot — part of the body

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