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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. season — of the year
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. club — a group
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. court — of law
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lean — to bend
  19. season — in sport
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. club — for golf
  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