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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. land — ground
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. land — to come down
  8. rash — a series
  9. cue — a signal
  10. land — a country
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stand — to bear
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cue — a hint
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rash — on the skin

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