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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pit — in a race
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pit — a hole
  8. kid — to tease
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. kid — child
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. net — after costs
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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