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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. last — finally
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rash — a series
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. craft — boats
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pitch — completely
  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