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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. chip — to eat
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. present — a gift
  14. mine — for digging
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pass — a permit
  23. present — the time now
  24. pound — to hit hard

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