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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 · safe · dip · calf · kid · lash · cue · ground

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. kid — to tease
  3. ground — a position
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pit — a hole
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ground — the earth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kid — child
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ground — crushed
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cue — a signal
  24. safe — a strongbox

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