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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fall — the season
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rush — hurry
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. object — to protest
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. object — an aim
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. clip — for paper
  12. object — a thing
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pit — a hole
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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