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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rule — a law
  8. staff — employees
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rule — government
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pit — in a race
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lean — thin
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. staff — a stick
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. staff — employees

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