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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pit — a hole
  8. row — a line
  9. present — the time now
  10. charge — in control
  11. cold — not warm
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stand — to bear
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. charge — electricity
  17. present — a gift
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. charge — a price
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wind — moving air

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