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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tear — from crying
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. charge — a price
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. tear — to rip
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. charge — in control

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