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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. spring — the season
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pit — a hole
  13. object — an aim
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. game — a match
  18. kid — child
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. spring — of water
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. spring — a coil

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