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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. field — farmland
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. current — electric
  7. field — for sport
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — to wash
  11. field — a subject
  12. current — happening now
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pass — a permit
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. plane — a tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. shower — rain
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pit — a hole
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pit — in a race
  23. current — of water
  24. pass — to succeed

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