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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. chair — a leader
  5. suit — clothes
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. shower — rain
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chip — to eat
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pit — in a race
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pit — a hole
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. suit — in cards
  24. lash — to lash out

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