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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cue — a hint
  4. present — a gift
  5. pit — in a race
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. club — a group
  8. pit — a hole
  9. club — for golf
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lean — to bend
  12. present — there
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fall — the season
  18. lean — thin
  19. wound — an injury
  20. club — for dancing
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. present — the time now
  24. lean — to rest against

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