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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. land — to come down
  3. hand — help
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. land — a country
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. band — a ring
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stem — to come from
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lean — to bend
  14. land — ground
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pit — a hole
  20. band — a music group
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. suit — to fit
  24. lean — thin

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