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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · face · lash · foot · wave · kick · row · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. row — a line
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pit — in a race
  12. face — to point toward
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. foot — a measure
  21. face — to confront
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wave — with your hand

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