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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. court — for sport
  4. suit — in cards
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chip — for betting
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. chip — to eat
  16. toast — bread
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pit — a hole
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. court — of law
  22. suit — to fit
  23. snap — to click
  24. court — of a king

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