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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. spring — of water
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pop — music
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pop — soda
  15. tube — a container
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pop — to visit
  21. spring — the season
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pit — in a race
  24. squash — the vegetable

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