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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.

Words on the sheet
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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pit — a hole
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. staff — employees
  16. spring — the season
  17. staff — employees
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lash — to lash out

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