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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: face · pit · bark · lash · arm · bulb · cabinet · pitcher

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bark — to shout
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. face — to confront
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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