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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. last — final
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. last — finally
  17. pit — in a race
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. scale — in music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bass — low music

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