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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. tube — a container
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. suit — in cards
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. tear — from crying
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. suit — clothes
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pit — a hole
  13. drill — army training
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. tear — to rip
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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