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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pit — a hole
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — in a road
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mate — to breed
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fork — a garden tool

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