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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 124 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pit — in a race
  5. field — farmland
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. roll — a cake
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. field — a subject
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. field — for sport
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. roll — a list
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. saw — the tool
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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