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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pit — in a race
  6. can — a tin
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lean — thin
  17. can — a tin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — a hole
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wake — before a funeral

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