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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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468
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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. face — to confront
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rock — music
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cell — a phone
  14. row — a line
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rock — a stone
  20. face — to point toward
  21. row — to paddle
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. racket — for tennis

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