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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. season — of the year
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. saw — the tool
  18. season — in sport
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pit — in a race
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. lash — to lash out

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