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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pit — a hole
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. tear — to rip
  17. wind — moving air
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. tear — from crying
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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