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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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. file — a tool
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bore — to drill
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. craft — boats
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lie — to recline
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. file — a document

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