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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mine — for digging
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. club — a group
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. club — for golf
  16. hand — help
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. club — for dancing

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