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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. club — a group
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. club — for dancing
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kick — in football
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pit — a hole
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. club — for golf
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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