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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stand — to bear
  7. charge — a price
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — in control
  15. season — in sport
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. season — of the year
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. charge — electricity
  24. season — to add flavour

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