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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mate — a partner
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. last — finally
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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