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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 124 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stem — to come from
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pit — in a race
  8. spring — of water
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rule — a law
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rule — government
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitcher — a jug

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