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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bound — certain
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pit — in a race
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. tear — to rip
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bound — tied together
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rock — music

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