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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. object — a thing
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pop — music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. object — to protest
  8. spring — a coil
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. object — an aim
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pop — soda
  14. pit — a hole
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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