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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rest — what's left
  7. craft — a skill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rest — a break
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. pitch — completely

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