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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. land — ground
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. clip — a video
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. season — of the year
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. game — a match
  12. land — to come down
  13. pit — a hole
  14. face — part of the head
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. land — a country
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. season — in sport
  24. clip — for paper

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