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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mate — a partner
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. deal — to handle
  7. face — part of the head
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. mate — a friend
  11. track — to keep track
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. face — to confront
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. face — to point toward

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