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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lean — thin
  8. pit — a hole
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cap — of ice

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