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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lean — to bend
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. net — in sport
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rock — music
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rock — a stone
  22. lean — thin
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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