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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. snap — to click
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wind — moving air
  6. track — a song
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. present — a gift
  10. track — a path
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — a hole
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. present — the time now
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. present — there
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pit — in a race
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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