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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. kick — in football
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. capital — money
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — a trace
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. capital — a city
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pass — to succeed

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