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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pit — a hole
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rash — a series
  6. rest — a break
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. rush — hurry
  14. snap — to click
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. board — to get on
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. board — a committee
  24. rest — what's left

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