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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chest — a box
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. roll — a cake
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. ground — a position
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. shower — to wash
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. roll — a list
  23. shower — rain
  24. wave — with your hand

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