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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. object — to protest
  3. mug — a face
  4. ground — the earth
  5. drill — the tool
  6. object — an aim
  7. mug — to rob
  8. object — a thing
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. drill — army training
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pit — a hole
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pit — in a race
  24. drill — a practice

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