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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mine — for digging
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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