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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. row — to paddle
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. row — a line
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pit — a hole
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. prune — to trim
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. prune — to trim

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