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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pass — a permit
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. dip — to sink
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rest — a break
  21. season — of the year
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. season — in sport
  24. pit — in a race

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