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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. swing — music
  8. chip — to eat
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. drill — army training
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pit — in a race
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. swing — to play on
  23. clip — a video
  24. lie — an untruth

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