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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pit — in a race
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pit — a hole
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. face — to confront
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ground — a position
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. face — to point toward
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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