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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. season — of the year
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fall — the season

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