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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. spell — letters
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. capital — a city
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. spring — the season
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mark — a trace
  24. capital — money

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