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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 120 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 · pitcher · plane · bay · lash · kick · firm · prune

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. firm — a company
  6. pit — a hole
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. firm — steady
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. plane — a tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — decided
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lash — an eyelash

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