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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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468
Word bank
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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. charge — in control
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fall — the season
  5. squash — the sport
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. field — a subject
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. field — for sport
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pit — in a race
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. field — farmland
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. fall — to drop

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