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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. kick — in football
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. field — farmland
  11. wake — a trail
  12. field — for sport
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rest — what's left
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. field — a subject
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rest — a break

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