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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rash — a series
  6. current — happening now
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lean — thin
  12. fine — all right
  13. current — electric
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pit — in a race
  16. hand — in cards
  17. current — of water
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. hand — help
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fine — high quality

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