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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 120 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. charge — a price
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. race — a contest
  5. spring — of water
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bore — to tire
  8. net — for catching
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — the season
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bore — to drill
  16. charge — electricity
  17. net — in sport
  18. pit — a hole
  19. charge — in control
  20. race — humankind
  21. net — after costs
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. arm — part of the body

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