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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. race — humankind
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. race — a contest
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spell — letters
  12. race — the arms race
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lean — thin
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. spell — magic
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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