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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rock — a stone
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rock — music
  12. bass — low music
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lash — to lash out

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