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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. tube — a container
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. charge — electricity
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cap — a hat
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. charge — a price
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. charge — in control
  24. nail — for a hammer

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