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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. firm — decided
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mine — for digging
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. firm — a company
  12. pit — in a race
  13. firm — steady
  14. press — newspapers
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. press — to push
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. snap — to click
  24. lash — to lash out

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