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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. hand — help
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lean — thin
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. board — to get on
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pit — a hole
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. board — a committee
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. deal — to handle
  24. hand — in cards

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