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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pit — in a race
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. foot — a measure
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mine — for digging
  12. land — a country
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. land — ground
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lie — to recline
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. land — to come down
  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