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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. kick — in football
  4. pit — in a race
  5. firm — a company
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pit — a hole
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. firm — decided
  23. row — to paddle
  24. kick — a thrill

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