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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cap — a lid
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. key — in music
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mark — a trace
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rule — government
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rule — a law
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. snap — to click
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. cap — a hat
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cap — of ice

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