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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. lean — thin
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. charge — in control
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pitch — completely
  18. charge — a price
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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