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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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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: chest · stick · game · wax · lash · pit · lie · object

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. object — to protest
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. chest — a box
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lie — to recline
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. game — a match
  13. chest — of your body
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lie — an untruth

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