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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. wound — an injury
  3. clip — to cut
  4. wound — an injury
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pit — a hole
  15. clip — a video
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. face — to confront
  19. rash — a series
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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