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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mark — a grade
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mark — a trace
  13. perch — the fish
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. race — humankind
  20. toast — bread
  21. race — a contest
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. perch — for a bird

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