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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. tear — to rip
  3. band — a ring
  4. suit — clothes
  5. present — the time now
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. present — there
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pit — in a race
  10. land — a country
  11. tear — from crying
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pit — a hole
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. land — ground
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. band — a music group
  21. land — to come down
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. tear — from crying

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