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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lean — thin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. pit — a hole

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