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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.

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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rash — a series
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pit — in a race
  5. snap — to click
  6. cap — a hat
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. firm — steady
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. firm — a company
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rash — hasty
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. tube — in a tire

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