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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pit — in a race
  4. track — a path
  5. net — for catching
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hand — help
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. kid — child
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kid — to tease
  16. track — a song
  17. net — in sport
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. hand — in cards
  20. net — after costs
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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