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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 · cabinet · file · tear · lash · pitcher · perch · calf

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tear — from crying
  10. file — a tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. file — a document
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pit — in a race
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — for a bird

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