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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mate — to breed
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. game — a match
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hand — help
  21. mate — a partner
  22. prune — to trim
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pass — to spend time

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