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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pop — soda
  5. pass — a permit
  6. can — a tin
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. row — a line
  9. pit — in a race
  10. can — to be able to
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pop — to visit
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. face — to confront
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. deal — to handle
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pop — music
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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