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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. saw — the tool
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ground — the earth
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. band — a music group
  14. ground — a position
  15. pit — in a race
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fall — the season
  19. staff — employees
  20. saw — the tool
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. band — a ring
  24. kick — in football

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