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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rash — a series
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. present — a gift
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pit — in a race
  15. present — there
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. present — the time now
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fine — all right
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. straw — dry grass

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