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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. present — there
  3. lie — to recline
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. present — the time now
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. hand — help
  12. pit — in a race
  13. season — of the year
  14. present — a gift
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. snap — to click
  21. bear — the animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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