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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bat — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. suit — clothes
  21. root — the cause
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pit — in a race

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