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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pit — a hole
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. present — there
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tear — to rip
  8. present — a gift
  9. pit — in a race
  10. present — the time now
  11. track — to keep track
  12. last — finally
  13. track — a song
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. chest — a box
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chest — of your body
  24. track — a path

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