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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: pit · wound · rest · foot · coach · lash · sharp · pop

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pit — in a race
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — a break
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rest — what's left
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pop — soda
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. foot — a measure
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pop — music

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