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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. spring — of water
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pit — a hole
  6. spring — the season
  7. tear — to rip
  8. track — to keep track
  9. sharp — clever
  10. track — a song
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pit — in a race
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rest — what's left
  19. track — a path
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. key — in music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rest — a break
  24. tear — from crying

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