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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bore — to tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. land — to come down
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pit — a hole
  19. land — a country
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. land — ground
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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