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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. kick — in football
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pit — a hole
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rash — a series
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. deal — an agreement

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