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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mark — a grade
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mug — a face
  13. rule — a law
  14. firm — decided
  15. wind — moving air
  16. swing — music
  17. firm — a company
  18. pit — a hole
  19. firm — steady
  20. kid — child
  21. mark — a trace
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. kid — to tease

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