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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. prune — to trim
  12. last — finally
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pitch — completely
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — in control
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. charge — a price
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. charge — electricity

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