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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mug — to rob
  3. kick — in football
  4. present — there
  5. spring — the season
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pit — a hole
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. capital — a city
  13. pit — in a race
  14. present — a gift
  15. spring — of water
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mug — a face
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. present — the time now

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