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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. charge — a price
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pit — in a race
  5. charge — in control
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kick — in football
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. suit — to fit
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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