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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pitch — completely
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rock — music

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