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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cold — not warm
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bore — to drill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cold — an illness
  17. lean — thin
  18. mark — a grade
  19. lean — to bend
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. mark — a trace

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