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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. land — a country
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. root — the cause
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. drill — a practice
  12. land — to come down
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. root — of a word
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. drill — army training
  18. fine — all right
  19. land — ground
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. root — of a plant
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. drill — the tool

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