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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.

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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. craft — a skill
  7. branch — a division
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hand — help
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. pit — a hole
  15. craft — boats
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cold — not warm
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cold — an illness
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. temple — side of the head

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