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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pit — a hole
  8. net — in sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pit — in a race
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. season — in sport
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stem — of a plant

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