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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mark — a grade
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. object — an aim
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hand — help
  14. fall — to drop
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. object — to protest
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pass — a permit
  22. object — a thing
  23. dip — to sink
  24. hand — in cards

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