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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pit — a hole
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tear — to rip
  10. last — finally
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. last — to go on
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. tear — from crying
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. last — final
  24. lash — to lash out

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