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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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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. can — a tin
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fine — all right
  5. last — finally
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. last — to go on
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pass — a permit
  17. last — final
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fine — high quality
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. can — a tin

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