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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cap — a lid
  7. present — the time now
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — in control
  13. present — there
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. spring — a coil
  16. present — a gift
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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