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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 116 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pit — a hole
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rule — a law
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rule — government
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fall — the season
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. kick — in football
  24. wound — an injury

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