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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lean — thin
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pit — a hole
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rule — government
  22. bore — to tire
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rule — a law

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