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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. kick — in football
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bat — the animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. mine — for digging
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. race — a contest
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stand — to bear
  13. object — a thing
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. race — humankind
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. object — to protest
  24. fine — all right

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