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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. staff — employees
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. staff — a stick
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. mark — a trace
  13. dip — to sink
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. land — ground
  23. mark — a grade
  24. racket — for tennis

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