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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bear — the animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. ball — a great time
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ball — a dance
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lash — to lash out

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