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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lean — to bend
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. present — the time now
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. present — there
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lean — thin
  19. present — a gift
  20. tube — the underground
  21. track — a path
  22. tube — a container
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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