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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lie — to recline
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pit — a hole
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. stock — goods
  18. wind — moving air
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stock — shares
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. calf — a young animal

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