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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. tear — from crying
  3. suit — in cards
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. court — of a king
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pit — in a race
  21. tear — from crying
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pit — a hole
  24. safe — out of danger

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