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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. shower — to wash
  5. board — to get on
  6. key — the most important part
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. face — part of the head
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pit — a hole
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pit — in a race
  16. face — to confront
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. shower — rain
  20. key — in music
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. can — a tin
  24. board — a committee

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