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

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. drill — the tool
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rest — a break
  11. drill — a practice
  12. season — of the year
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. kid — child
  16. rest — what's left
  17. drill — army training
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — in sport
  20. mug — a cup
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mug — a face

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