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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pass — a permit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. land — ground
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cold — not warm
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — a trace
  15. charge — a price
  16. key — for a lock
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. key — in music
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. charge — in control
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cold — an illness
  24. key — the most important part

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