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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. net — in sport
  4. kid — child
  5. net — for catching
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. drill — army training
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. net — after costs
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pit — a hole
  19. face — to confront
  20. pit — in a race
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. face — to point toward
  24. drill — a practice

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