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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bark — to shout
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bound — certain
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. craft — boats
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pass — to succeed

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