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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pit — a hole
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wind — moving air
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mark — a grade
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pit — in a race

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