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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. last — to go on
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lean — thin
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wind — moving air
  19. plane — a tool
  20. last — final
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. last — finally
  24. leaves — to go away

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