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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. track — to keep track
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. track — a path
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rock — a stone
  12. charge — a price
  13. track — a song
  14. charge — electricity
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rock — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — in control
  23. prune — to trim
  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