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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. land — a country
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. face — part of the head
  6. land — ground
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — in a race
  10. swing — to play on
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wound — an injury
  14. swing — music
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lean — thin
  21. land — to come down
  22. face — to confront
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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