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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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Word bank
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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. scale — in music
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pit — in a race
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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