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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. capital — money
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fine — all right
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pit — a hole
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fine — high quality
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. saw — the tool

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