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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pit — in a race
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rash — a series
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. content — the amount
  12. present — a gift
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. present — there
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. land — a country
  21. present — the time now
  22. content — happy
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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