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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. kick — in football
  8. scale — size or range
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. scale — in music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. object — a thing
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mark — a grade
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rest — a break
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mine — for digging

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