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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — a committee
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lean — thin
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fork — in a road
  15. board — to get on
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lash — an eyelash

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