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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 116 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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. field — farmland
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. race — the arms race
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pass — a permit
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wound — an injury
  16. race — humankind
  17. charge — in control
  18. field — a subject
  19. race — a contest
  20. spell — letters
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. spell — magic
  23. bear — the animal
  24. field — for sport

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