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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bark — to shout
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rest — a break
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rash — a series
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bark — of a tree

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