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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ball — a dance
  3. last — to go on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. last — finally
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. swing — to play on
  12. key — in music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. board — a committee
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pit — a hole
  17. key — for a lock
  18. last — final
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. board — to get on
  24. swing — music

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