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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. last — final
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. race — the arms race
  7. present — the time now
  8. spring — of water
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. present — a gift
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. last — finally
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. present — there
  21. spring — the season
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. last — to go on
  24. lean — thin

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