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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.

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

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. snap — to click
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wake — a trail
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pit — a hole
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. firm — a company
  18. stand — to bear

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