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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pit — in a race
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pit — a hole
  11. current — happening now
  12. net — in sport
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. season — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. net — for catching
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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