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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. drill — army training
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fine — all right
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fall — the season
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fine — high quality
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — a practice
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fall — to drop

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