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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spring — of water
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fine — all right
  6. tube — the underground
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — a lid
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cap — a hat
  13. tube — a container
  14. club — a group
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. key — for a lock
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — the most important part
  19. club — for golf
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spring — the season
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. key — in music

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