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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ground — a position
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mark — a grade
  9. last — final
  10. rock — music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mate — a partner
  20. last — finally
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. last — to go on
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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