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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. toast — bread
  3. present — a gift
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fall — the season
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fall — to drop
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — to drop
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — in a race
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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