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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the fish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bass — low music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wind — moving air

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