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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. season — in sport
  10. rest — a break
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lean — thin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — of the year
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lean — to bend
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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