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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. degree — an amount
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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