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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. board — a committee
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. board — to get on
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. current — of water
  11. scale — in music
  12. current — happening now
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. current — electric
  17. mate — a partner
  18. scale — size or range
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rest — what's left

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